seen such a contest. were wooden walls. When it began the navies of the world Then came the Merrimac and the Monitor, and when that war closed all the navies of the world were obsolete. Then came reconstruction, but I will not go into it. None of us remember the many things that happened with pleasure; but as I think about it sometimes I realize it necessarily could not have been otherwise than it was. But how marvelously it has been forgotten, because we sit here upon each side of this aisle friends, Amercians, all marching under the Stars and Stripes, each with an equal love for the great Republic. [Applause.] There was no such contest with any such result in the lifetime of a generation and a half in the history of the world. Why, bless my soul, the Battle of the Boyne was fought 200 years ago, if I remember aright, and on each anniversary it is fought over again now. [Laughter.] A man said to me the other day, "What would you give, Mr. CANNON, for an insurance policy that you would live to be 100 years old?" I said, "A real policy that would make me live— and would I have to die then?" "Yes," he said; "just a policy of that kind." I said, "Give? I would rather pay something not to have it." "Why?" he said. "Well, there is probably one man in half a million in the United States now living that will live to be 100 years old, and I am going to take my chances." [Laughter and applause.] He said, "That is a slim chance." I said, "Yes; but I would not have the policy anyway, because every day that would pass it would occur to me that it was one day less." The Great Father has arranged it properly; no man can foresee when he will die. Now, I do not desire to keep you longer. I thank you, Mr. Speaker and gentlemen, with all the sincerity in my power for this compliment. I never had such a compliment before. It would be impossible to have another such, and I appreciate it. [Prolonged applause.] 1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES No. 1114 REPORT OF THE ROCK CREEK AND POTOMAC LETTER FROM THE ROCK CREEK AND POTOMAC MAY 12 and 29, 1916.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed, with maps WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE CONTENTS. Page. 5 Letter from the commission transmitting their report to Congress.... CHAPTER I. Brief history of events leading up to the development of the Rock Creek Valley within the District of Columbia... CHAPTER II. General discussion of the problem of a parkway connecting Potomac Park with the Zoological and Rock Creek Parks.. Section I-Easbys Point to L Street. Separation of Rock Creek from the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. Section II-L Street to P Street.. Section III-P Street to Massachusetts Avenue.. Section IV-Massachusetts Avenue to Zoological Park. Appendix A. CHAPTER III. Public buildings act, approved March 4, 1913 (Public No. 432, H. Rept. 28766). Appendix B Letter from the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to the Secretary Letter from the Commission of Fine Arts to the Secretary of the Treasury, Appendix C... Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Speaker of the House, Page 9, sundry civil bill, approved March 3, 1915. Appendix E... Table showing property involved in crossing the lands of the gas company. Table showing property involved in the proposition for separating Rock Appendix G... Letter from the Department of Justice to Col. William W. Harts concerning the gas and canal companies. Appendix H... Description of the proposed taking lines and comparison with those shown on map referred to in bill S. 2366 (62d Cong., 1st sess.), filed May 17, 1911. Section I-Easbys Point to L Street.... Section II-L Street to P Street.. Section III-P Street to Massachusetts Avenue.. Sections IV and V-Massachusetts Avenue to the Zoological Park. 29 29 Appendix I.. Detailed tables showing names of owners, locations, areas, assessment rates, and values of the property to be taken, arranged by sections and squares, and described in Appendix H. |